Christos Michalakos is a Senior Lecturer in Game Audio. His research explores the synergies between sound, music, games and performance. He also designs and builds sound and music systems for games and interactive applications. Christos has presented his work at a wide range of conferences and festivals including the International Conference on Live Interfaces (Brighton 2016), DiGRA / FDG (Dundee 2016), London Jazz Festival (London 2015), Game Developers Conference (San Francisco 2015), ACM Creativity and Cognition (Glasgow 2015), New Interfaces for Musical Expression (Oslo 2011 / London 2014 / Brisbane 2016), International Computer Music Conference (Ljubljana 2012 / Shanghai 2017), International Symposium on Electronic Art (Albuquerque 2012) and Sonorities Festival of Contemporary Music (Belfast 2011 / 12 / 16).

He often improvises with his electronically augmented drum-kit, a custom hybrid instrument which extends the traditional acoustic drum-kit through the use of sensors and bespoke software. Over the years he has shared the stage with a plethora of artists ranging from improvising saxophonist Evan Parker, to performance artist Stelarc, as well as various long-term collaboration projects. 

Christos holds a BSc in Mathematics (University of Crete 2006), an MSc in Acoustics and Music Technology (University of Edinburgh 2008) and a PhD in Creative Music Practice (University of Edinburgh 2013), examined by renowned composer and multi-instrumentalist Fred Frith.

He currently lives and works in Dundee, Scotland, where he is a lecturer and researcher at the School of Design and Informatics at the University of Abertay.

• Audio for Games I: Concepts, Assets and Implementation
• Audio for Games II: Procedural Methods, Integration and Scripting
• Audio Programming
• Dynamic Audio for Digital Media
• Honours Project Supervision

• Expressive / Experimental Music Games
• XR Audio
• Composition / Improvisation / Performance

2018 Royal Society of Edinburgh Enterprise Fellowship

2017 Carnegie Trust Research Incentive Grant

2012 PRE Grant from the University of Edinburgh

2012 Roberts Fund Award for Inventor Composer Coaction (co-director)

2011 BEAM Festival Bursary, Brunel University

2011 PRE Grant from the University of Edinburgh

2007 EPSRC Scholarship for postgraduate study at the University of Edinburgh

2013-date Peer reviewer for the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression

Selected Festivals and Conference Presentations:

2015 ACM Creativity and Cognition Conference, Glasgow

2015 Game Developers Conference, San Francisco

2015 Gap In the Air: Festival of Sonic Art, Talbot Rice Gallery, Edinburgh

2014/11 New Interfaces for Musical Expression, Oslo/ London

2014 What Is Sound Design…? Symposium, Edinburgh

2013 Cryptic Nights, Centre for Contemporary Arts, Glasgow

2013 SSSP at de Montfort University, Leicester

2013/12 Network Music Festival, Birmingham

2012 International Computer Music Conference, Ljubljana

2012 International Symposium on Electronic Art, Albuquerque

2012 INTER/actions: Symposium on Interactive Electronic Music, Bangor

2012/11 Sonorities Festival of Contemporary Music, Belfast

2012 Data Is Beautiful, Budapest

2011 BEAM Festival at Brunel University, London

2011 SOUND Festival, Aberdeen

Affiliated with:

2012 Inventor Composer Coaction (co-director)

2010-date Sound Lab Edinburgh

2010-2013 Laboratory for Laptop and Electronic Audio Performance Practice

2014 Music, Sound & Electronics - West Lothian Schools Workshops